1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to amine salt compositions and more particularly to amine salt compositions useful for inhibiting corrosion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Corrosion is the deterioration of a metal caused by the chemical or electrochemical reaction of the metal with the constituents of its environment. The corrosion of iron is referred to as rusting whereas, in other metals, corrosion is referred to as tarnishing or some other phenomena.
Corrosion has accompanied metals since their beginning and has caused extensive research for the prevention thereof. Corrosion not only affects the surface properties of a particular metal but also can cause deterioration in metal strength. This deterioration is due not only to the reduction in metal thickness but also in the strength of the metal itself.
In designing articles constructed of metal, it is necessary to consider the inevitability of corrosion, hence, the metal may have to be coated or constructed of a special alloy to endure in a specific environment.
There are many types of corrosion among which are uniform attack, pitting, fretting, cavitation-erosion, dezincification, intergrannular corrosion and cracking. Although these types of corrosion cause various effects, in all cases, a deterioration is manifested.
The specific problems of corrosion in commerical areas are too vast to provide a specific enumeration thereof. But the major problems include shipment of metal from the mill to the user with a minimum of alteration through corrosion. For example, silicon steel, as is used in electrical transformers, tends to corrode in the edge area where the steel has been cut due to the lack of coating (which provides the desired electrical properties) about the edge. Thus, it may be necessary to coat the steel with a composition having detrimental electrical properties after the cutting operation and remove the coating before use in a transformer.
Another problem presented by corrosion is the necessity of providing special shipping containers for high tolerance steel articles such as bearings, cams, gears, fasteners, machine parts and the like. For example, steel bearings, just as the above mentioned articles, are coated with a polymer such as cellulose acetate butyrate to protect the bearings from damage due to impact. However, because the polymer contains residual acetic and butyric acid, care must be taken to prevent moisture from contacting the steel and causing corrosion. Thus, it has become necessary to pack the bearings in special containers for corrosion protection such as the provision of silica get in the container, packing in hard wood boxes, wrapping with a moisture impermeable material, or wrapping with a cloth or paper impregnated with a corrosion inhibitor.
Further, in the production and fabrication of steel in mills, several steps may be necessary to manufacture a particular product. In between each of these steps, there is usually a time delay which allows the steel to corrode and necessitates the removal of the rust before the steel is transferred to the next process. When welding is used in a fabrication process, in many instances the surfaces to be joined are ground free of contaminants and the component parts stored before welding. During the course of this storage, the steel may rust on the edges and a poor weld joint will be formed if the adjoining surfaces are not reground.
In accordance with the present invention a corrosion inhibitor is provided which has wide potential application in the metal industry.